MARINE CORPS AIR STATION YUMA, Ariz. -- Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 13 A team showed no mercy April 5, crushing Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron Search and Rescue 26-5 with their powerful offense hitting 11 home runs in slow-pitch softball at Field 425 here.
Warith Najieb, right fielder, led MALS-13 in scoring with five runs and two RBI’s. Michael Greening, SAR shortstop, led H&HS with one home run and one base hit. Other key players included Gerry Rouse, MALS-13 third basemen with three home runs and David Schwabell, MALS-13 shortstop, with two home runs and one RB.
MALS-13 A’s victory was clinched after scoring 12 runs at the top of the fifth, extending their lead to 26-3 and leaving H&HS SAR only one inning to score 13 runs to prevent the league’s 10-run lead rule from going into effect.
The game started with the undefeated MALS-13 A team striking first, scoring three home runs in the first inning from MALS-13 A first baseman Mario Artalejo, left fielder Gabriel Moya and second baseman Jared Roberts, who proved to be a solid problem for the H&HS SAR team by later hitting two more home runs.
H&HS SAR retaliated at the bottom of the first with two scores from Michael Greening, right fielder, and Luke McKinney, left fielder, but were stopped in their tracks by MALS-13’s defense.
MALS-13 quickly deepened the early wound, scoring four more runs, including Schawbell’s crushing home run in the second. MALS-13 finished the inning by scoring one more run and halting any advance from SAR putting the game at 8-2.
For a brief moment, it appeared H&HS had found the fire they were missing. Their defensive squad made quick work of MALS-13, holding them scoreless at the top of the third. Steve Seay, H&HS right fielder, started the bottom of the third with a blow to deep centerfield, scoring his only home run of the game. David Reese, H&HS right center, also hit a thundering triple to deep center field, but due to a combined defensive effort by MALS-13, H&HS SAR was unable to hold the ground they had gained.
MALS-13 began driving the nails into the coffin by scoring six more points in the fourth making the score 14-3 and tearing away any chance of a comeback. With three errors in the fourth, H&HS quickly lost their momentum.
Entering the fifth inning, H&HS SAR needed to score two runs to keep the game from being called by the 10-run lead rule, but MALS-13 was not finished. Adding salt to the wound, they scored a pride-wrenching 12 runs.
With a last ditch effort, H&HS gave it everything they had at their last turn at bat, but were unable to close the gap and the game was called.
“We were just making fundamental mistakes. It was not our game, but I am not making excuses, (MALS-13) has a great team,” said Greening.
“We were hitting the ball well, but if we get rid of simple mistakes, then we will be unbeatable,” said Gabriel Moya, MALS-13 left fielder.
The win bumped MALS-13 A to a 5-0 record and dropped H&HS to 2-3.